Al Spalding-- Part 1: Mighty Big Name in Early MLB

On March 30, I wrote about the Chicago White Stockings (now the Cubs) winning their season opener in 1876 behind the pitching of their manager-pitcher Al Spalding.  Well, this name sounded familiar in sporting goods so I did some further research and what a baseball player this guy was.

From Wikipedia.

ALBERT GOODWILL SPALDING  (September 2, 1850-September9, 1915)

Baseball pitcher, player, manager and executive and co-founder of A.G. Spalding sporting goods company.  Born and raised in Byron, Illinois, and graduated high school in Rockford, Illinois.    Played Major League Baseball from 1871 to 1878.  He started a trend when he started wearing a baseball glove.

After his retirement as a player, he became active as an executive and owner of the Chicago White Stockings (who are today's Chicago Cubs).With William Hulburt, he organized the National League and later called for a commission which determined that baseball had been invented by Abner Doubleday (second in command at Fort Sumter when it surrendered to the Confederates and later Union general).  He also wrote the first set of baseball rules.

--CootBall

Civil War Trust Battles in August-- Part 1 Battle of Mobile Bay, Battle of Camden

From the Civil War trust: Celebrating 30 Years 2017 Calendar.

AUGUST

5th--  1864:  Battle of Mobile Bay, Alabama

9th--  1862:  Battle of Cedar Mountain, Va.

10th--  1862:  Battle of Wilson's Creek, Mo.

16th--  1780:  Battle of Camden, S.C.

17th--  1863:  Federals begin the great bombardment of Fort Sumter

--Cooter

Celebrating Old Glory on the 200 Birthday of Its Song-- Part 2: Fort Sumter and Lincoln Flags

FORT SUMTER FLAG, CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA

"On April 12, 1861, a U.S. flag with 33 stars arranged in a diamond shape flew above Charleston Harbor's Fort Sumter while Confederate troops shelled the Union-held fort.

"The battle ignited the Civil War, and the surviving flag, now displayed at Fort Sumter National Monument remains a powerful relic of America's bloodiest conflict."

THE LINCOLN FLAG, MILFORD, PENNSYLVANIA

"This flag served a grisly, practical task on April 14, 1865, when President Abraham Lincoln lay dying in Ford's Theater in Washington, D.C., after being shot in the head by assassin John Wilkes Booth.

"'Someone decided it wasn't appropriate for him to be lying on the bare floor so they crumbled up the large flag that had decorated the front of his his box and stuck it under his head,' says Lori Strelecki, 49, the curator of the Columns Museum for the Pike County Historical Society.

"Each year, some 3,000 visitors view the flag, which was donated to the PCHS in 1954 by the grandson of Ford Theater's stage manager."